It’s set to be a busy time for your youngsters over the holidays! With all the activities available, you’re going to need to make sure they have the energy to make the best of the time they’ve got. Healthy happy active kids are the name of the game. Here are some pointers for packing healthy and nutritional lunches.

Build Your Base

• Fuller kids are full o’ energy!
  • Prepare a base with bread, rice, pasta or potatoes, a healthy third of a child’s diet should be carbohydrates to provide them with the energy to keep moving.
• A whole lotta wholegrain
  • Swap your usual bread for wholegrain and brown bread. Fill a lunch with circular bagels and triangular tuna sandwiches for a fun pick’n’mix lunchtime.
• Spare the spread
  • Cut down on mayonnaise and other high-fat spreads and opt for reduced-fat cream cheese instead.

Tip: You can freeze different types of bread and just defrost when you’re ready to make an inventive packed lunch!

Fill It Up

• Lean machine
  • Use leaner meat like chicken or turkey or swap the poultry for tuna and salmon. Both are a good source of protein and make nice additions to pasta bowls or sandwiches.
• Keep it evergreen
  • Don’t forget your salad veg! You can get creative with this 5 a day treat, cutting carrots and cucumbers into shapes. Dip them or stick them in a sandwich!
• Check your cheeses
  • Stronger tasting cheeses tend to be lower in fat so if you’re adding cheese make sure it’s reduced fat or nice and strong.
• Go meatless
  • Pulses make for good meat equivalent. Beans, peas and lentils are higher in protein than meat, great for those growing muscles and often much cheaper. Easily stored in cupboards, you can experiment with them for lunch and dinner.

Resist the urge. Make the swap!

• Swap: Bag of crisps FOR Bite-sized fruit and veg like satsumas, cherries, strawberries & carrot sticks
• Swap: Chocolate FOR A fromage frais yoghurt pot is full of calcium and vitamins for healthy strong bones
• Swap: Sweets FOR Dried fruit such as apricots and sultanas and tinned fruit in juice

Tip: Why not have the kids join in making the lunch. If they’ve made it themselves, they’ll be more likely to enjoy their own creation.

Staying hydrated throughout the day

• Keep the 8 cups a day as a rule. A reusable bottle is both sustainable and refillable. This will encourage drinking water throughout the day.
• Keep fruit juices and smoothies to a minimum, with lots of sugar and acid, they’re bad for growing bones and teeth.